The invention relates to golf swing training equipment for developing muscle coordination and memory to improve a golfer""s golf club swing. The training equipment is a golf iron having a grip and linear indicia providing the golfer with visual information of the angular orientation of the golf club iron head.
Skeletal human muscle is the most abundant tissue in the human body and also one of the most adaptable. Vigorous training over a period of time can double or triple a muscle""s size. Disuse of a muscle for a period of two weeks can shrink the unused muscle by 20 percent. Physical training and exercises develop muscle coordination and memory for repetitive movements. Golfers practice golf club swings at driving ranges and practice on putting greens with conventional golf clubs and putters. The golf clubs do not have additional weight so that in use they do not communicate to the arms, shoulder, body and leg muscles of the golfer to relieve muscle tension and habits and develop muscle memory conducive to an improved golf club swing.
B. M. Beebe in U.S. Pat. No. 2,628,100 discloses a golf club having a tapered linear shaft joined to a club head. A golf grip telescoped over the upper end of the shaft has upper and lower prominences 27 and 28. In use the prominences 27 and 28 are located between the thumb and index fingers of the hands of the golfer.
J. W. Sorenson in U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,407 discloses a golf swing trainer having a solid steel shaft fitted with a standard golf club grip. A rubber tip is connected to the lower or outer end of the shaft. A golf club head can be used instead of the rubber tip for visual or psychological reasons. The top of the shaft bears a straight line indicia as a club face reference. The center of gravity of the trainer is centered at a midpoint of the longitudinal axis of the shaft. Repeated swings of the trainer establishes a muscle memory of the path of a correct golf swing.
C. L. De Jesus discloses in U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,164 a golf club having a shaft attached to a cylindrical handle and a head equipped with a visible elongated angle guide. The angle guide is located in an predetermined position with respect to the club face whereby the golfer is able to align the angle guide and the club face with respect to a fixed visible line marker on the ground and the ground surface before the swing, during the swing, and before and after the club head strikes the ball.
The golf club swing trainer of the invention is used by golfers to strengthen and improve the tone of muscles in a golfers body, arms, legs and shoulders and ingrain muscle memory for an improved golf club swing. The trainer is also used for practice swings to relax and warm up the muscles of a golfer. The trainer has an elongated linear shaft having a longitudinal axis, an upper end portion and lower end portion. The shaft can be a solid metal rod, such as a steel rod. An iron golf head having an upwardly directed neck is connected to the lower end portion of the shaft. A hand grip of flexible rubber-like material fits on the upper end portion of the shaft. The center of gravity of the trainer is below and lateral of the center of the shaft. Longitudinal indicia, such as a pair of spaced parallel lines, located on the side of the shaft facing the iron golf head provide visual information to the golfer as to the angular orientation of the iron golf head relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. The grip has outwardly directed projections providing hand locators for holding the grip. The projections having V-shaped indicia to aid in the visual orientation of the iron golf head. The projections comprise a first wedge shaped projection generally aligned with the indicia on the shaft and a second wedge shaped projection spaced upwardly and circumferentially from the first projection. The V-shaped indicia are located on the first and second wedge shaped projections.